"Absolute dogs" - Florida Panthers' Kyle Okposo shares candid Stanley Cup Final opinion

By Ankit Kumar

Modified Jun 14, 2024 19:34 GMT

On Friday, Florida Panthers forward Kyle Okposo shared insightful opinions about the Stanley Cup Final. Okposo's perspective on playing in the Final was shared via a tweet by NHL insider Chris Johnston on X. Johnston held his statement as 'wise words'.

"There’s so many guys that haven’t played in the playoffs that would be absolute dogs in the playoffs," Okposo said, (per Chris Johnston on X).

The Florida Panthers are on the brink of their first-ever Stanley Cup championship. They are riding high on a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. Despite this favorable position, the team hasn't lost focus.

"The job's not finished. We're not really thinking about that. We've got a lot of work to do," forward Sam Bennett said.

Okposo also has a different perspective on the lead held by the Florida Panthers.

“People are making a pretty big deal out of it, and I think it’s hilarious,” Okposo said before Game 3 (per NHL.com).

The Panthers' 4-3 win against the Edmonton Oilers shows their team is better overall. They have not given room to star forwards Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Also for Florida, players like Aleksander Barkov, Sam Reinhart and goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky have played a big role. Bobrovsky especially is a fan favorite in Florida.

Florida Panthers close to winning 4-0 against Edmonton Oilers

Captain Aleksander Barkov contributed to a goal and scored another for the Panthers in a 4-3 win. Sergei Bobrovsky was still standing tall in the net. The Panthers are close to securing their first franchise title in Game 4 on Saturday night in Edmonton.

“We know it’s going to be the hardest game for sure,” Barkov said. “We don’t take anything for granted. Every single day is one day at a time. Whether it’s one period, one shift, we take it one at a time. That’s how we’ve been all year.”

“They are a very skillful offensive team," Bobrovsky said. “They’re going to make plays. You just focus on each and every one and it’s a fun challenge. It’s a fun challenge to play against them because they bring the best.”

Despite a late rally from the Oilers, Bobrovsky's standout performance, including a crucial stop on Ryan McLeod, secured the win.

Edmonton faces an uphill battle to avoid a 3-0 series comeback. Stuart Skinner conceded four goals and McDavid struggled to make an impact.

“We’re trying to figure them out," McDavid said, “We haven’t beat them in three games. We’ve had stretches that are good, stretches that are bad.”

The Florida Panthers' defense has been key to their success.